NO NEUTRAL SOURCE

The Live Saturday and Sunday Services started like any other service in the past, but there was a huge package of surprises in the unfolding. True to The SCOAN culture, the service was inundated with interesting testimonies of healings, breakthroughs, mending of relationships and deliverance from demonic attacks. As can be seen from the accounts rendered hereon, the Anointing Water which is one medium God has so endowed the man of God, Prophet T.B. Joshua with to foster his ministry of healing and deliverance from evil influences has continued to bless people in every area of their needs. Encouraged by the great testimonies resulting from the use of the Anointing Water and the Anointing Stickers, Prophet T.B. Joshua decided to further bless the congregation, indeed the world with yet a new branded Anointing Water and a pair of Anointing Stickers with an improved booklet that explains the nitty-gritty and the origin of these blessed products. After a powerful and inspiring sermon delivered by Wise man Harry on the subject ‘No Neutral Source,’ Prophet T.B. Joshua addressed two major issues dealing with peoples’ misconception of appearances as opposed to true godliness. In summary he said that ‘Faith is of man’s spirit, not of his flesh or body’. Then, came the big surprise: Prophet T.B. Joshua spoke briefly of his upcoming 50th Birthday which falls on June 12. He said that God had inspired him to bless the people in a very special way to mark the occasion and he went ahead to distribute the new branded Anointing Water and a couple of beautiful Anointing Stickers freely to all. God Almighty and the heavenly hosts endorsed the release and confirmed that the prophet’s action was indeed ordered from above. This was evidenced by uncontrollable manifestations of people that came in contact with the Anointing Water and the Anointing Stickers even before ministering them. Indeed, God is still with us.
Sermon By Wise man Harry
Life is a warfare. In a warfare, there are many battles to fight. When you look at people today, you will see that some are battling with their bills, some with their sickness, while some are fighting to make it in life. It takes the grace of God to realize that the way you fight these battles determines who you are before God. Just as there are two sides to a coin, so also there are two sources in this world: God and satan. Whether you believe it or not, there is no neutral source because there is no neutral kingdom. You can become great in life, in terms of position, money and fame, but the source of your greatness will be either from God or satan. Genesis 14:14-16,21-23. This is all about Father Abraham and his determination to make God Almighty his only source.
To be great born of God is to derive your resources from God, while to be great born of satan is to derive your resources from satan.
When God is the source of your strength, no one can be against you. When God is the source of your strength, you and God are majority. Abram, with the help of God, was able to defeat his enemies and recover all the goods and set the captives free.

One thing we need to remember is that Satan’s greatest interest is to overthrow our relationship to God as a Father. To do that, satan always uses our situation. This is why we should not be misled by our situation. Our situation could be poverty or sickness. Outward affliction and poverty are the great arguments satan uses to disturb the children of God. Therefore, as children of God, it is better to live poorly on the fruits of God’s goodness than to live plentifully upon the products of our own sin. Remember that everything big starts little. If anything big starts big, it calls for concern. Those who fail to take these tiny steps cannot trust God and understand the basic truth about faith.
Testimonies:
CHRONIC CASE OF BEDWETTING HEALED
Mr Awallu Gaboh, a muslim had the problem of bedwetting and frequent urination for twenty years. It all started when a spirit being possessed him, which came and made love to him. The problem had made it impossible for him to get married or visit friends. His relations and friends could not understand why he would not marry. He visited several herbalists in search of solution but to no avail. Then, a friend of his gave him the Anointing Water which he ministered on his male organ and all over his body. When the spiritual wife attempted to force herself on him, he noticed that a very powerful ray of light was covering him and preventing the lady from coming close to him. After many attempts, she gave up and left. Since then, he has been free from the chronic case of bedwetting of over 20 years. Being a muslim, he said it was the first time he had entered a church (The SCOAN) but as he saw the way Prophet T.B. Joshua had treated people from all religions, he felt welcomed. He said that Prophet T.B. Joshua was sent to everyone regardless of their religion. He also changed his mind concerning getting married, stating that it was now possible.
BARRENNESS AND ALCOHOLISM STOPPED
Mr Abu Abdulazeez from Benue State had been childless for many years after marriage. The medical report stated their diagnosis of bacterial infection but his wife often told him that a certain spiritual man used to sleep with her and make love to her in the dream. Mr. Abdulazeez who is a military personnel, had the problem of addiction to alcohol for thirty-one years and could drink more than three cartons of beer in a single day and to worsen his situation, he always spent time in the company of his colleagues who were also habitual drinkers. After each drinking spree, he would usually lose his cell phone and end up being helped home in a state of stupor. He had attempted to quit the habit on his own but could not. He was always late to work on account of the drunkenness. On one occasion, he sleep-walked into an unfamiliar bush due to the effect of alcohol until he was saved by a man who told him that he had travelled close to Kogi State very far away from Abuja, his planned destination. He was also in the habit of returning home late at nights. He had lost three of his cars due to accidents resulting from drunkenness. One fateful day, he visited a friend and joined them in watching Emmanuel TV. He was astonished to see cases of drunkenness being delivered through the prayer of the man of God, Prophet T.B. Joshua. He joined in the prayer by placing his hand on the screen of the television. He invited his wife to place her hand on the television and she did. As soon as she placed her hand, she fell down and started manifesting. Soon after, his wife conceived. For himself, he tried to visit his former beer parlour where he ordered for a bottle of beer but it tasted of bitters and he had to spit it out. Since then, his addiction of 31 years stopped. Today, the wife is pregnant. Mr Abdulazeez does not visit beer parlours anymore and they now enjoy a very peaceful home.
YOUNG MAN DELIVERED FROM DEMONIC KINGDOM AND DISCONNECTED FROM SECRET CULTS
Mr Innocent Oluchi Chidozie Ochia – Imo State, Nigeria was an active member of some number of secret cults for many years. He is a graduate of Federal Polytechnic, Nekede in Imo State. He was an ardent church goer and a choir boy until one of his relations introduced him to various brands of drugs. They were into the music industry and those drugs were supposed to make him feel good and bold while on stage. Ironically, the influence of those drugs erased every passion for the things of God and he developed apathy to Christian music. He could consume large doses of those drugs every day and had to spend much of his pocket money in acquiring them. On one occasion, he had concealed himself behind the counter of a bar, smoking his weed and playing music very loud. Three beings appeared to him right there and one of them said that it could pick up his thoughts. He did not believe the being, and spoke in silence to test him. The beings responded correspondingly to prove that they could actually read his mind. They told him that they could discern that he wanted to be famous and that they could help him get to the top of his career. He asked to be helped. One of the beings stripped off and to his surprise, he saw that it was tattooed from the neck to the groin region. They started an initiation process and were making noises as if in a sex orgy. He could not stand the sight any longer and decided to walk away. He was threatened with premature death in four days if he walked out on them. He, however, tried to submit to the initiation. Back at the Polytechnic, his life took a different form. He could hear voices and interpret lyrics that he never was part of their making. He became fearless. He had no money but could get just whatever he wanted so long as he was dressed in a peculiar spiritual fashion that those beings had recommended. When he sang on stage and off-stage, he could hold people in trance and those who were unable to stand the situation had to run away. The drug addiction got so bad that he had to be sent to rehab. His academic career started diminishing. He never prayed and refused to pay his tithes any longer. He preferred to do his chores on the Sabbath day instead. He hated the things of God. Incidentally, he was invited to The SCOAN to witness the testimony of one of his aunts who had been delivered from demonic influence. He felt very uncomfortable in the church and would rather have some cigarettes and alcohol. During prayer by Wise man Daniel, he was arrested and felt the separation from the spiritual beings that had tormented him. The pain he felt on his leg also disappeared after he was touched and prayed for by the wise man. He advises the youths in particular that if they would make Heaven, they should avoid worldly affections such as smoking, doing drugs, drinking and lustfulness – telling them that Jesus Christ was not a womanizer or a drug addict.
He now enjoys reading the Bible and is eager to receive the Word of God that will inspire him.

SON OF A POPULAR NOLLYWOOD ACTRESS AND MUSICIAN DELIVERED FROM DEMONIC KINGDOM
Mr Samuel Freedom is the son of Camilla, a renowned Nollywood actress. He said he came to The SCOAN after his mother had been delivered of evil attacks and connection to the marine kingdom. He says that in a prophecy given to her by Prophet T.B. Joshua, his mother was asked where her son was. She responded that he was in Enugu and the man of God said he should be brought to The SCOAN. Previously, he had been practicing house to house evangelism and praying for the sick with signs following, though he had never been delivered himself. He confessed that during that period, he had an affair with a lady from the same church where he worshipped. Thereafter, his spiritual life took a downward turn. He experienced some career failure and stagnation. Nothing was working for him; he became depressed and often heard a voice telling him to commit suicide. He began looking for alternatives; he started listening to worldly music and doing street dance. He formed a dance group and they wanted to create new moves. They researched online and found different demonic signs which they formulated into dance moves. He would have dreams where demons would teach him dance steps. He would then in turn teach others how to dance in that way. He wanted to get money; so, he searched on the internet and found the Illuminati website; he read everything on the website and saw the face of the master of the Illuminati. His first experience was an encounter with the master in a dream. The master appeared in the form of a serpent and then later transformed into a human being, giving him instructions. Thereafter, he started using some of those signs that represented Illuminati in dance steps on stage, but participants never got to know that those dance steps were glorifying demons and initiating them into the kingdom of darkness. The more the people adopted the dance steps, the more they were tormented by demons. He had a shirt with the Illuminati insignia, which he usually wore especially on stage. He had a computer game known as Prince of Persia which he always played during the day. At night, he would see himself as the character from the video game, the Prince of Persia, flying, fighting and doing everything the character in the game was doing. He was in the habit of masturbating even though he detested the act and would regret it later.
He eventually came to The SCOAN and was delivered after prayer from Wise Man Christopher. He no longer has the urge to masturbate, smoke or drink. He advised parents to keep objects of bad moral influence away from their children. He advised youth not to download worldly music on their phones. His advice to pastors was to run to God for mercy for He is a merciful God.
A NIGHTCLUB DEEJAY IS NOT WHAT I WAS CALLED TO BE
Pastor Philip Onyekachukwu of Prince of Peace Ministries International and brother of Ms Camilla, the popular Nollywood actress, said he had received a call of God and then when his finances were down, he backslid to become a nightclub Deejay. He said he was not properly taught how to maintain his walk with the Lord. He could not pay his school fees and had to abandon the ministry. He had a dream where two women put their hands inside his chest after
which he became sick. He went from one place to another in search of a solution to his sickness which doctors were unable to diagnose. Later, he returned to being a pastor, though he acknowledged that he did so without being delivered. Consequently, he experienced setback in his ministry. He said that the church would grow and then later scatter. He would also hear voices rebuking him, telling him he was never going to make it and that the church was going down. He came to The SCOAN where he was prayed for by one of the wise men and received his deliverance. He said after his deliverance, he no longer heard negative voices and also the pain he had in his body was gone.
NOLLYWOOD ACTRESS WENT THROUGH THOROUGH SCREENING
Mrs Camilla, a Senior Nollywood Actress for 29 years said she didn’t have a hand in how, where and when she was born. She decided who she wanted to be when she came to The SCOAN. Many of her colleagues had discouraged her from coming to The SCOAN. She said, “Many of them are scared of coming to be screened by the Holy Ghost”. According to the actress, she was delivered at The SCOAN and also received a prophecy concerning her son. She brought him to The SCOAN together with her brother (Pastor Philip Onyekachukwu) for deliverance. She said she came for God to change her spiritual occasion from sin to holiness and she got it. She encouraged all to seek the face of God.
THE TRUTH ABOUT TATTOOS REVEALED
John Bosco from Cameroon gave a testimony of how he had a tooth problem and a woman had advised him to apply snuff tobacco as a solution to the problem. The effect of the tobacco made him feel high in spirit. He became addicted to it and eventually became very sick and lost a lot of weight. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis and gastric ulcer and reached rock bottom in life. One night, he had a dream whereby he saw the man of God, Prophet T.B. Joshua in his dream who prayed for him. Soon after the dream, he had a full recovery from his sicknesses and was restored back to his original self. To add to his blessing, he was also offered a good job from an offshore company with good pay and his life experienced a dramatic turnaround for the better. He was so overjoyed at the healing and blessing he received that he asked himself what he could do to

say, “Thank you”. He then called a tattoo artist and asked him to design a tattoo for him written, “Jesus Is Lord, T.B. Joshua My Prophet”. He had the tattoo inscribed across his shoulder. As he developed interest in studying the Scriptures, he came to a portion in the Book of Leviticus 19:28, which spoke against the act of putting marks of any sort on the body and immediately regretted doing the tattoo. He was so disturbed in his mind that he sent an email to the man of God, Prophet T.B. Joshua asking what he could do. The prophet then invited him to The SCOAN.
After sharing his experience, the man of God addressed the issue. “Just see it as one of those things on your body, not for God. If you see it like that, press forwards to serve God in Spirit and in truth. Don’t see it as a way of pleasing God. Don’t let it disturb you anymore. Put it behind you. Since you can’t remove it, leave it and continue to serve God.”
Prophet T.B. Joshua further said, “Faith is of man’s spirit, not of his flesh or body”. He advised the man that he should see the tattoo as something for his body and not for God. He said now that he had realized it was wrong, he should put it behind him and seek God. He said the tattoo had no meaning to God and is not to please God. He also advised Christians who already had tattoos and wanted to remove them, not to have them surgically removed as this was a trap of satan, which could lead to other skin complications. He concluded by saying that when we worship God in Spirit and truth, whatever we have put on our body is nullified.
MODIFY YOUR CULTURE TO SUIT CHRIST’S IDEOLOGY
Deacon Daniel Emoghawei came to The SCOAN and received a prophecy. Prophet T.B. Joshua asked him about his wife and had spoken concerning the conflict at home and the spirit of anger. Today, Deacon Daniel Emoghawei came back together with his wife to confirm the prophecy. He explained that the cause of most conflicts in the house was regarding his wife’s clothing and makeup. As a deacon, he didn’t like to see his wife with revealing clothes and heavy makeup. He further told the prophet that even on their wedding day, they had fought concerning the same matter. Apart from that, according to the husband, the wife had the spirit of anger that caused her to argue and get angry unnecessarily. His wife also spoke, complaining that they would always quarrel and never agree on anything in the house. She further said that her husband would beat her and this had heightened the tension in the marriage.
Listening to their story, Prophet T.B. Joshua expressed his belief from God’s point of view that God is Spirit and that those who want to worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth. Therefore, for God to hear, help or answer us, we must talk to Him in Spirit but the problem people have is that many have not been dealing with God in Spirit but in the natural.
Prophet T.B. Joshua explained that there was nothing wrong in putting on makeup but that our ideology and culture must be modified to suit Christ’s ideology. He added that if someone has the spirit of lust, whether he or she applies makeup or not does not make any difference because it is a spiritual matter and can only be resolved through being delivered.
He asked them what their position was concerning the marriage. They both said that they still loved each other as husband and wife but just wanted the conflict in their marriage to stop. Prophet T.B. Joshua encouraged the couple that there could be no understanding without misunderstanding. He said that if you ask any successful couple today about their experiences, they would tell you that they passed through the shadow of death before they arrived at a successful marriage. T.B. Joshua concluded by advising, “There is a time to fight and there is a time to embrace each other. No matter what happens, God has something to say, even in a broken situation. Therefore, we should always ask for God’s opinion concerning all things”.
The new brand of Anointing Water was officially launched. People were falling under the anointing of God upon receiving the new Anointing Water and Stickers. Inspired by the Spirit of God, Prophet T.B. Joshua gave out The New Anointing Water and Stickers for free to the congregation both inside and outside the auditorium as his 50th Birthday gift and in dedication to the blessed memory of his mother on the occasion of this year’s Mothers Day celebration.
The man of God, Prophet T.B. Joshua gave the grace for the congregation to receive the rebranded Anointing Water and Stickers for the first time after their official launch today. Excitement and shouts of joy rented the atmosphere as the long-awaited release was announced by the prophet. As soon as the Anointing Water and Stickers were given out freely to the congregation, people began to shake, roll on the floor and vomit out dangerous substances that had been lodged in their system, under the power of God. They hadn’t even opened the packaging before Jesus Christ began to work in their situation. Mrs Towoju from Kwara State, Nigeria was among many who after merely receiving the New Anointing Water and Sticker received a miracle. She came out to testify that God healed her of a stroke after merely collecting a bottle of the Anointing Water along with the Anointing Sticker. Glory be to God!
Ifeoma had suffered serious headaches but immediately the Anointing Water and Sticker were given to her, just by merely touching the packaging, caused her to fall under the anointing of God and receive her healing. Upon getting up from the floor, she realized that God had performed the miracle. No more headaches!

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A PASTOR LEADS BEST WHEN HIS PEOPLE GET BEHIND HIM

After a powerful prayer line where people were disconnected from any demonic influence in their lives, Prophet T.B. Joshua entered the teeming cathedral and gave an enlightening sermon titled, ‘A True Prophet’. Asking how one will tell who is a true prophet or a false prophet and using the book of 1 John 4:1, he said the one having a divine spirit that comes from above is meek, peaceable and humble, and refrains from all impurities of this world. He said that the spirit speaks only when God wishes it to speak whereas others are always ready to pray. He added people generally have the wrong impression that healing, miracles, the spirit of prophecy and all of God’s blessings are wrought at the will of the person concerned. This is why people easily feel a prophet should be able to pray anytime, not minding whether it is the right time or not. A true prophet however will not pray without spirit intimation. He explained that without direction from the Spirit, if they give, they give of themselves; they prophesy of themselves; that is why there are prophecies without accomplishment; healings without results.

In a tribute to his late mother, Prophet T.B. Joshua said that she had advised him that when he did not seem to receive from God, he should look into his love walk as the Bible in Mark 12:31 says we should love our neighbour as ourselves. He explained that when the hour of her departure came, he had sent for her and she was with him for a day and they discussed. He said he did not know how to relate to her the message that he had received from God because it was news that no one wants to hear. However, he had learned from reading the Bible that the issue of departure can be delayed by prayer or by waiting in faith (Isaiah 38:4; Luke 7:2). He told his mother that no matter how upright we are, we still need to rededicate ourselves. He explained how he told her, “Everyone has been tempted; I have been tempted; you have been tempted and we will continue to be challenged by issues that violate our conscience. We all face the temptation to do the wrong thing but there is a way – Jesus is the Way”. He said that when we give our lives to Jesus and make Him our boss, CEO and Director in all we do, we are under His supervision to do all.

He added that although his brothers and sisters had wanted to help their dear mother medically, her departure could not be delayed by human sympathy; he told her to be in an attitude of prayer. He said that, “When it is time for man’s departure, nothing can delay it except waiting in faith or through prayer”. The man of God added that we have read about many Biblical characters whose departure was delayed. Hezekiah was rich and favoured and when he cried out to God, God answered him in Isaiah 38:4 “I have heard your prayer and I have seen your tears, surely I will add to your days, 15 years.” The prophet explained that unchangeable means, what will happen will still happen.

He referred to the late President of Ghana, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, saying that, “My dear father President Atta Mills – if there is anyone that would want the late president to spend 200 years on this earth, I am number one.”

He recalled a phone call he had made to the late president a month and a week ago in which he described a vision that he had seen of cloud covering his apartment. He told him that he should be prayerful because he had seen his body being transfigured to a celestial realm. He had also advised the president who was planning to travel to the USA to be prayerful because of the vision. Speaking to the congregation, the man of God said, “When clouds come down to pick you up, it is a hero’s welcome.”

The man of God had also told the president that his coming 68^th birthday should be dedicated to God through fasting and prayer. He explained that the birthday was not celebrated on Emmanuel TV because there was no way you could wish Happy Birthday without saying, “Long life’.

Speaking on why he had not travelled to Ghana for the last three years, the prophet said that he could not go anywhere without first hearing from God. He added that he would love to be there anytime he heard from God, especially because, according to him, Ghana was his second home.  Still speaking on the departure of the late Ghanaian President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, he said that he knew where he was going, adding “Let your soul admire where he is and pray to be there one day.” He emphasised, “It is a wonderful grace to know where you are going. You need not fear where you are going when you know Jesus is going with you.”

He ended his message saying that a pastor leads best when his people get behind him.

NATIVE ENERGY CRUSHED BY GOD’S POWER

When Mr Oba Yabrifa Ebiundu (a witch doctor) was encountered by the prophet during the previous Monday service, his true identity was revealed through a word of prophecy. The man of God told him that he was a witch doctor with powers and energy that he used even to cause and stop rain. He immediately confirmed the prophet’s words and his wife added that the small demons appeared to her and attacked her when they were coming to The SCOAN. After the video of the prophecy, footage of Yabrifa in his community shrine as a Chief Priest and villagers worshipping him was played.

Mr Yabrifa accompanied by his wife and son then came into the service to tell his story. He introduced himself as a witch doctor and chief priest who was the father of every colour who served the ‘god of justice’. He explained that he was the custodian of the deity which was an inheritance from his grandfather. He said that from when he was a small child, he would go to the river to catch fish for his mother and preferred spending time in the river than going to school or staying at home. Initially wanting to reject the inheritance of the chief priest, he tried to do a security job but the deity appeared to his employers in the form of his father and warned them to release him because he was a royal chief priest.

Then, on one fateful day during a local festival, Mr Yabrifa physically felt a force enter him, eventually leading him to a river where he stayed in the depths of the water for several hours. The next moment Mr Yabrifa realised that he was in the centre of the diabolic shrine, being crowned as chief priest.

He was taught how to make charms for people but despite his ‘native energy’, he knew that something was disturbing him. Although people flocked from far and wide to pay homage to him and partake in the native ceremonies where hard liquor was poured and animals sacrificed, Mr Yabrifa remained in poverty while the demons regularly attacked his family members. He explained how when pastors came and held crusades next to his shrine, praying against the idols he worshipped, he would be provoked and invoke rain to come and stop their crusade. He further said that the deity never allowed him to shake anyone’s hand as his hand was reserved for feeding the deity alone. He also never bowed for anyone or removed his cap or shoes as the deity always told him that he was to be worshipped and was above everyone else.   Referring to his son, he said that he also had native powers and was his second in command.

Mr Yabrifa explained that he kept warning his wife to stop watching Emmanuel TV because of the deliverances God used T.B. Joshua and the wise men to do were beyond his own native power. Eventually forced to come to The SCOAN because of his poverty and wretched life as a smoker, drunkard and womanizer, Mr Yabrifa never thought that he would be discovered. After the prophecy, he explained that he had had a dream in which Prophet T.B. Joshua followed him to his village and helped him set the idols ablaze and deliver the community. Upon listening to Mr Yabrifa, Prophet T.B. Joshua spoke on the need of his followers also coming to The SCOAN for their own deliverance.

THE ARENA OF LIBERTY!

The prophet led the congregation and viewers in a powerful time of prayer, saying, “I can see you being delivered, healed. You yoke, bondage, I command you to be loosed in Jesus’ name”. Truly, the people were disconnected from every demonic activity as they agreed with T.B. Joshua and prayed along in faith. After the prayer, the man of God moved through the entire auditorium giving words of prophecy and counselling to the people as intimated by the Spirit of God. In the second service, the auditorium was full to the brim with more people awaiting their freedom and the wise men using the authority in the name of Jesus continued to command any evil spirit to leave the people. We thank God for setting his people free in the arena of liberty.

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THE HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN

The much awaited message from Prophet T.B. Joshua on 29^th July 2012 was titled, The Highway To Heaven and was dedicated to the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills, President of Ghana.The prophet said, “To get to Heaven, you must follow the way of the Cross. The Highway to Heaven starts on this side of death and the entrance is very easy to find”. The Bible says, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). He said, “Paul the Apostle declared that the road to Heaven is not difficult to find or to access. Are you on the right road?” The road is right in your front; it is in the Word of God, he assured.

The prophet said, “The Lord speaks to us through His Word by His Spirit, and Jesus said, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one cometh to the Father except through me’ ” (John 14:6).

He revealed that Jesus Christ died for our sins and broke the power of death by resurrection.

“You need not fear where you are going when you know Jesus is going with you”, the prophet insisted, noting that “Death is not a period, it is only a comma”. This is because of the death of Christ and the resurrection.

He stated that, “We who put our faith in Him, death is not a period but a comma”. “We need to be sure we are ready to depart” he said, stating that, “If you are prepared to die, you are prepared to live.

The prophet said that “Whether you are young or old, what matters is the grace to continue living hereafter. A man may die young, yet be satisfied with living; but a wicked man is not satisfied even with long life”, he revealed, stressing that “Continuing to trust Jesus is the only way to get the things you are not ready for”.

He mentioned that he was not mourning the late President Atta Mills but was celebrating his wonderful life, saying, “I thank God for a life well spent”.

He narrated his first visit to Ghana during a crusade where he met the late President Atta Mills who at the time was the vice president of former president Jerry Rawlings.

“We prayed together and then came the revelation and I told him, ‘You will be a president of this country one day.’ He said, ‘No I am going back to the classroom, I am a professor, a lecturer’. Truly, he went back to the classroom as a lecturer. After some years, I received a phone call from him telling me, ‘I was called to contest as a presidential candidate of a party’. I replied, ‘Remember what I told you’.

He came to The SCOAN and I told him, ‘Your journey – I see three contests, 1^st lose, 2^nd lose, then you can think of winning to become president’. He said, ‘A losing candidate, 1^st time, 2^nd time, will people believe such a candidate?’ I said, ‘Let the will of God be done’. With God, all things are possible; this is the voice of God. The relationship was purely based on revelation. When your relationship is based purely on revelation of God, nothing and nothing can break it.”

The Last Hurdle That Saw Him To The Throne

The man of God explained how Atta Mills accepted the revelation and began to believe that he could contest as a presidential candidate. When Atta Mills was running for the third time, the prophet received a phone call from him from South Africa in which he stated that he was booked for an operation.

The prophet prayed over it. After praying, he gave him a call. ‘You said operation. You had a dream some time ago; in that dream, someone was leading you, holding your hand as a guide to show you the way. Does that mean somebody will be holding your hand anywhere you go?’ He replied, ‘Yes, I had such a dream in Canada that I was blind and someone held my hand and was guiding me where to go.’ I said, ‘If you attempt the operation, this is what is going to happen. My brother, don’t try the operation’. He said, ‘Pastor, I would like to attempt one eye first. If it does not work, I will stop it.’ Our dear father went for an operation on one eye. On coming out of the operation, the eye could not work and had also affected the ear. So, he called me, ‘Man of God, I am coming straight to Nigeria.’ That was where the first news was carried that our dear father had died. While the news was everywhere in those days, our father was with me here. When our father arrived at the airport in Nigeria, the first words that came from him were, ‘I will no longer contest; I want to drop the ambition’. I replied, ‘The Lord says you will get there. You can’t change God’s Word’.

The relationship was not just an introduction but purely divine. The man of God spoke of how Atta Mills spent 10 days with him at The SCOAN. ‘We started praying together and the Lord restored the ears and the other eye that had not been operated on. Our father went back to Ghana and started campaigning. The ambition continued. If God used His servant at that period, what do you think that servant cannot do to carry on?

After the election results were out and Atta Mills was inaugurated as President of Ghana, T.B. Joshua explained how he had received another revelation about his journey. ‘The prophecy I received from God was the same prophecy I used that day as a prayer point. I asked God to give him the spirit of a finisher. The second prayer point God gave me was, ‘God, give us the grace to complete the job that we started’. At that moment of celebration, there was nothing that called for that kind of prayer point. I began to see an unchangeable event.

‘He was a promised child being led by revelation’, the prophet told the congregation and viewers. The prophet said that it was not sickness or disease that killed him but it was God’s time. He prayed for the family of the late President and the nation, Ghana and said, ‘Our father is a martyr – the legacy he left behind – an unexplainable unity among political class, that is what our father fought for and won’.

In remembrance of Atta Mills, T.B. Joshua said, ‘What a good man – very modest in his leadership. Africa, we are not mature enough for this kind of leadership. He was a good man but a good man cannot succeed alone.’

Testimonies
Mrs Egbanunu, Warri, Delta State.
She was delivered from evil attacks and eating in her dreams. She was sleeping with men in her dreams and when she woke up, she would act like a man. She said she used to beat up her husband, pull his manhood and soak his clothes in water. She revealed that she broke his hand and destroyed the windscreen of his car and overwhelmed by the situation, two years ago, the husband left the house.

She revealed that after her deliverance, she started having affection for her husband. The prophet promised to contact the family of the husband. The husband, Mr Terry Egbanunu, who was also in the church to honour the invitation by the prophet, said that when his wife came into his life, things became terrible. He said his wife was quarrelsome and often threatened his life.

She said she was advised to visit The SCOAN where she was fortunate to be delivered through Wise Man Christopher. Following her deliverance, as she described in detail how she had treated her husband, she choked back tears. After both had explained their side of the story, Prophet T.B. Joshua counselled them and prophesied that the affection between the two of them would soon return. Their marriage had finally been restored after two years of separation. Glory be to God!

 

Mrs Pat Uzo
Delivered From The Problem Of Domineering Spirit And Undue Control Of Her Husband
She said she was fond of controlling her husband and was also noted for shouting at people. She claimed that she was not like that in the past.

Her husband , Mr Henry Uzo, confirmed this and said, “She used to tell me to bathe the children, care for them, wash plates, cook food and wake her up to eat”. All these were going on despite the fact that we have a housemaid”, he said. The couple requested for deliverance which they received.

Nigeria Deportees From Libya
A second set of Nigerians (over one hundred) who were imprisoned in Libya, came to the church to give thanks to God for the prayers of the man of God, Prophet T.B. Joshua which led to their release.

One of them (Matthew) spoke on behalf of the rest of them thanking the man of God for his magnanimity, love and concern for their plights. They were given assistance as others before them had received.

He gave them N12 million to be shared by all; each of them was given N100,000 to allow them to take care of themselves and make a fresh start in Nigeria. Each of them also received three bags of rice and a copy of ‘The Mirror’.

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WHO IS THIS MAN TB JOSHUA…

Check out this article that we found on nairobiwire.com. A Kenya News website. It gives you a special insight into the story of Prophet T.B Joshua, perhaps what you never knew before.

TB Joshua’s Michael Jackson, Mutharika Prophesy, And His Prophesied Life.

Who Is This Man TB Joshua..

“The most surprising part of TB Joshua is that his life had been prophesied by another great man of God…” 

When the Africa heard of Malawi’s president cardiac arrest , and his death a day later, one word came haunting, TB Joshua. Less than two months ago, the Nigerian prophet told his congregation that God had showed him the death of an old African president. Since he had already built a reputation by accurately prophesying the death of pop icon Michael Jackson, the world did not take those words lightly. Immediately, social networking sites were on fire as to who, TB Joshua was referring to. High on the list of possible candidates was, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki, Malawi’s Bingu wa Mutharika and Senegal’s Abdoulaye Wade, who has since lost the election. This was going by the words of TB Joshua that the president is old.

This weekend, just one week before the death of Bingu wa Mutharika, TB Joshua repeated his calls that Africa prays for its leaders as the death of one of its president was very close. Social networks were reignited again.

Temitope Balogun Joshua was born in 1963 in Nigeria and is the leader and founder of the organization, The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), which runs its own TV station, Emmanuel TV. As with many successful church ministers, TB Joshua as been a target of controversies. Some pastors have even accused him of using other powers other than God’s.

June 2009 will be remembered as the year when Michael Jackson died.What many people don’t know is that his death had been prophesied by TB Jackson 5 months earlier. On a live broadcast on Emmanuel TV, the prophet said,

“I’m seeing a great star whom the world is shouting, “Hey, hey, hey!” In his own area, he’s famous – he’s known everywhere. He is great – too great… I see something will begin to happen to that star and that may likely end in him packing his load and going on the journey of no return…

Some have dismissed the prophesy as too general to be associated with Michael Jackson, but later events proved that TB Joshua actually had Michael Jackson in mind. On live TV, former President of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Tee Mac, told a congragation,

“The man of God (TB Joshua) called me to his office and said to me, ‘Please, tell your friend Marlon to bring Michael here to Nigeria. Michael needs healing; he needs deliverance.’ I told the man of God that Michael Jackson just went for a medical check up because he is going to have about 50 concerts soon. But the man of God said to me, ‘Send Michael here – he needs healing.’ ”

When the tragic news broke, “what immediately came to my mind was that the man of God told me something’s going to happen,”

That statement immediately solidified TB Joshua’s prophesying credentials. That was however not the only TB Joshua’s prophesy that has come to pass. He is said to have predicted several football match outcomes, including the final of AFCON, where Zambia’s Chipolopolo carried the day.

The most surprising part of TB Joshua is that his life had been prophesied by another great man of God, the late prophet Adewole. In 1995, Adewole was confronted by a group of three journalist who wanted his comments on this new young prophet. In his own words, Prophet Adewole said,

“I was attending to people in my office one day when three journalists entered; the three of them came from three different media houses. They asked, “Prophet Sir, we see and know you to be one of foremost Prophets of God in Africa today. Millions of people are looking forward to your comments because you are the only prophet who has never commented on the subject?” At this point, before they mentioned what they really wanted and the man in question, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to me from the Altar in my office on a golden, very beautiful and mighty chair. He commanded me not to join fake, jealous and envious prophets to say blasphemy against a fellow messenger of God.

‘The Man in the Synagogue is mine. He is your spiritual colleague. He is not fake. His power is not mixed. I do as I please. You are all working for my glory on earth. Do never disown or desert him. Truly he is young in age, but my spirit in him is pure and great. His grace is special. Many will fall through him, while others will rise through him also. Advise him always like a son, friend and colleague and do not judge him at all because God is the only judge. I reveal this to you because you fear, adore and do my wish always. I love you’ – and He disappeared.

I then turned and faced the three men again. And I started telling them all God told me about the man, Temitope Joshua, in the Synagogue, Egbe, Lagos. They were marvelled and become embarrassed. Then one of them said, “Daddy, we believe you, but we want you to see him conjure with his hand. He is using mixed powers. Two other top prophets and the head of witches have promised to test and punish him.” I told them that all the witches and prophets on earth cannot even face an anointed man of God. I even warned them not to join the unbelievers that are fighting God through his prophets. After that they left”.

He later went on to tell his people,

“a young man from Nigeria would be highly anointed, such that all the nations of the world would embrace the mighty God through him.” He said a time would come that the Synagogue Church of All Nations will become a Jerusalem in Nigeria, such that the number of foreigners would outnumber the Nigerians attending the church.

Source: http://www.nairobiwire.com/2012/04/tb-joshuas-michael-jackson-mutharika.html

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HOW PROPHET WITH DIRECT LINE TO GOD PREDICTED PRESIDENTS DEATH

Leading UK Newspaper, The Times, today (Monday 9th April) published an article on Prophet T.B. Joshua and his recent prediction concerning the passing of Malawi’s President, Bingu Wa Mutharika. When they heard about the prophecy, The Times …phoned T.B. Joshua for a brief interview as they wanted to hear directly from him. Here is the article. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/

 

Ruth Maclean, Malawi

When the President of Malawi died last week, the country rejoiced. Violently crushing peaceful protests, throwing donors out of the country and lining up his brother to succeed him, President Bingu wa Mutharika was beginning to resemble Robert Mugabe of neighbouring Zimbabwe.

The President’s death last Thursday appeared to be a miraculous solution to their problems. But perhaps they should have seen it coming.

On February 5, Prophet T.B. Joshua predicted, live on the hit Nigerian Christian channel Emmanuel TV, that an African leader would die within 60 days.

“We should pray for one African head of state, what I say, president, against the sickness that will take life,” he told a 15,000-strong congregation and millions of viewers. He said that he was in negotiations with God and that prayer might save the president. He did not say which one.

“I’m just being used by God Almighty,” Mr Joshua told The Times. “I had to send the message … I cannot say more than that. I will not say somebody will die. I’m not God.”

Many thought that Mugabe, who is 88 and constantly quashing rumours that he is sick, was a safe bet. President Mutharika, although 78, seemed to have considerable life in him. Enough, at least, to get rid of Joyce Banda, the Vice-President, whom he threw out of his party when she refused to back his attempts to line up his brother as his successor.

After Mr Mutharika’s heart attack, clandestine negotiations in the top echelons of his party went on for two days and the Malawian people were not told whether he was dead.

Ms Banda was finally sworn in on Saturday. She is a firm devotee of Mr Joshua, whose latest prophecy is the bizarre crown on a number of “miracles” performed to her benefit.

It is well known in Malawi that when he suffered a serious stroke she took her husband to see the prophet and believes that Mr Joshua’s prayers cured him.

“In Malawi, T.B. Joshua is a person that is dearly loved,” she said before her latest prayers were answered. “I must say that I’m addicted, because every Sunday … I sit all day watching Emmanuel TV.”

Mr Mutharika’s death came hot on the heels of Mr Joshua’s repetition of his prophecy last Sunday, when he narrowed down the location of the presidential demise, eliminating West Africa: “I’m seeing a sudden death. This is as a result of sickness. Quote me. The Lord showed me the country . . . this is not even in West Africa.”

Although he is often vague and never names his subject, Mr Joshua’s purported predictions range from the deaths of Michael Jackson and Kim Jong Il to the London riots last summer.

“You remember when I said your country will be burnt and crash, you never listened!” he told The Times crossly. He does not rule out helping again, however. “You want to know what is going to happen? I will make an appointment with God.”

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Is TB Joshua A Prophet Among Us? – The Times of Zambia

SOURCE: Times of Zambia – http://www.times.co.zm/news/

 THERE has been so much controversy surrounding Nigerian prophet TB Joshua, a man renowned world over yet most vilified over for his miracle healing services and predictions. The controversies have been raging ever since TB Joshua’s ministry stormed into the public domain bringing into question the legitimacy of his works. In talking about legitimacy, I am referring to the standards as set forth in the scriptures, which would help us, identify a genuine prophet. Who then is TB Joshua?

TB Joshua whose full names are Temitope Balogun Joshua was born on June 12, 1963, in a village called Arigidi, in Ikare Akoko, Ondo State of Nigeria. He is married to Evelyn and has four children. TB Joshua, the founder and pastor of The Synagogue Church Of All Nations is said to have sparked controversy starting with his mysterious birth. He allegedly remained in his mother’s womb for 15 months before he was born. He attended primary school at St Steven Anglican school from 1971-1977, but failed to complete one year of secondary school. But as he was growing up, he was known as a “small pastor” because of his love for the Bible and ability to predict things to come in his community. He further gained reputation for spiritual prowess after confronting and disarming a madman who was wielding a machete in the school premises. While in school he was the leader of a scripture union.

When Joshua started the Synagogue Church of All Nations in 1987, he just had a handful of members but since then the church has grown far beyond the shores of Nigeria. More than 15,000 members attend the weekly Sunday service. Numerous videos have been produced documenting the healing of incurable sickness, cancer, paralysis, AIDS, showing people’s conditions before, during and after prayer. Medical doctors have examined the patients before and after and have testified to a supernatural activity beyond medical science. TB Joshua does not even claim to be healer but says, “I am just God’s servant”.

TB Joshua has made phenomenal predictions in full view of a global audience on the satellite Christian Television, Emmanuel TV and all of them have come to pass. He predicted the death of president Levy Mwanawasa a month before it happened, the disastrous cyclone in Myanmar, the attempted assassination of the prime minister of Lesotho Pakalitha Mosisili, resignation of Pakistan president Pervez Musharaf, the comet slam into planet Jupiter which caused quite a fray in the scientific community and more recently the death of American pop star Michael Jackson.

On Michael Jackson’s death, the prophet was seen by a global audience via his television network saying, “I see a star being rushed to the hospital but he wont come back home, the whole world will be shocked. He is a great star in his world”. To add mystery to this prediction, TB Joshua sent a message through the pop star’s associates to let Michael come for prayer and deliverance in Nigeria. The associates thought the message a bit misplaced, because Michael was declared medically fit by his doctors and he was billed for a world concert tour beginning July 13. But alas! That was not to be, he died on June 25 before seeing Prophet TB Joshua.

Despite all these happenings Prophet TB Joshua has come under heavy attack from many, some of whom have labelled him a false prophet. And the debate about the authenticity of his ministry unfortunately has been orchestrated by a section of the clergy within the charismatic Pentecostal brand of Christendom. This has left many lay people unfamiliar with scriptures, let alone issues of Christian theology confused, as reverends or bishops are keener to criticise prophet TB Joshua than providing Biblical counsel.

Since the beaming of Emmanuel TV on free channel stations in most parts of Zambia, we have witnessed an unprecedented following of TB Joshua’s programmes.  As a result, emotive debates have emerged from the pulpits to the pews, between clergy and lay people. The man has arrived on the scene, should we dismiss him or his utterances as the ravings of a madman? How do we know for sure that we have a prophet among us?

This article is written on the assumption that the readers hold to the sacredness of the Bible as the inspired scriptures from whence we would draw our authority in judging a matter as heresy or sound doctrine. It is against this background that we seek to examine the ministry of this man, in the light of scriptures. There are fundamental rules in the scriptures, which must be used to judge whether something is of God, or not. In the absence of this knowledge, one would easily find themselves opposing God or abetting apostasy. To begin with, if one does not subscribe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, they will have nothing to do with this subject at hand because there would be no basis by which any meaningful discourse can rest upon.

But if we want to find out if he is a fraud as some are claiming, or a true servant of the Lord, we can only do so with the aid of scriptures. Let’s examine for example the standards used in the scriptures to test a prophet. Deuteronomy 18:20; “But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. You may say to yourselves, ‘how can we when a message has been spoken by the Lord? If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, do not be afraid of him”.(New International Version)

The precise knowledge of the future according to this scripture, is a preserve of the Most High God, and only God can reveal detailed events to happen in the future to His servants. Therefore, if a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and the events take place, then you need to pay heed lest you find yourself opposing the Holy Spirit.

In the book of 1 John 4:2 :“This is how you can recognise the Spirit of God; every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the anti-christ which you head is coming and even now is already in the world”. The authenticity of any ministry is tested by how they profess about who Jesus Christ is. From all accounts, TB Joshua proclaims Jesus Christ to have come in the flesh hence his motto “Emmanuel” which translates God with us. His messages and sermons lift Jesus as the Christ! And what more?

Signs and wonders are daily phenomena in his ministry, just the way it was as recorded in the book of Mark16:20: “then the disciples went and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by signs that accompanied it”.

TB Joshua’s humanitarian effort touches the needs of widows. The physically challenged and orphans have benefited in his educational support projects. Recently the federal President of Nigeria, Musa Yar’Adua, a Muslim himself awarded him with “Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic” in recognition of his humanitarian efforts. Anyone who is a true seeker of truth can know in the light of scriptures that for sure there is a prophet among us.

By BONIFACE MWANZA

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TB Joshua Predicted Nigeria Vs Guinea Qualifying Match

Prophet T.B. Joshua prophesies the outcome of the Africa Cup of Nations 2012 Qualifying Match between Guinea and Nigeria, predicting that the first team to score would win the encounter. Watch and discover the prophets and prophecy did not die out with the Old Testament; truly, a prophet is in our mids.

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INCREDIBLE! A Prophet’s Prediction About TB Joshua

An intriguing story from Nigeria’s ‘Streetwise Magazine’ detailing a prophecy given by a famous Nigerian prophet 15 years ago, and how it is remarkably coming to pass in the life of Prophet TB Joshua…

T.B. Joshua means different things to different people. To some clerics who are envious of him, he is an agent of Satan, a magician or an occult healer. To many intellectuals, he is an intriguing marvel, a wonder man of the 20th century. To the thousands who have been healed and delivered through him, he is a gift to mankind. Yet, in spite of all these, the question remains – who is Prophet T. B. Joshua? Is he an ambassador of Jesus Christ or of the devil?

God only reveals His top secrets to those He loves. He revealed the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to Prophet Isaiah. In the same vein, Jesus Christ revealed who Prophet TB Joshua is to His beloved servant, late Prophet (Dr.) Akin Adewole, shepherd of the Celestial Church of Christ, Opopo Igbala Parish, Ikola Road, Ipaja, Lagos sometime in 1995. The following excerpts from the press release which Prophet Adewole consequently issued on the ‘Man in the Synagogue’ in 1995 can be said to put to rest the seemingly endless controversy surrounding who T. B. Joshua is.

“I was attending to people in my office one day when three journalists entered; the three of them came from three different media houses. They asked, “Prophet Sir, we see and know you to be one of foremost Prophets of God in Africa today. Millions of people are looking forward to your comments because you are the only prophet who has never commented on the subject?” At this point, before they mentioned what they really wanted and the man in question, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to me from the Altar in my office on a golden, very beautiful and mighty chair. He commanded me not to join fake, jealous and envious prophets to say blasphemy against a fellow messenger of God.

‘The Man in the Synagogue is mine. He is your spiritual colleague. He is not fake. His power is not mixed. I do as I please. You are all working for my glory on earth. Do never disown or desert him. Truly he is young in age, but my spirit in him is pure and great. His grace is special. Many will fall through him, while others will rise through him also. Advise him always like a son, friend and colleague and do not judge him at all because God is the only judge. I reveal this to you because you fear, adore and do my wish always. I love you’ – and He disappeared.

I then turned and faced the three men again. And I started telling them all God told me about the man, Temitope Joshua, in the Synagogue, Egbe, Lagos. They were marvelled and become embarrassed. Then one of them said, “Daddy, we believe you, but we want you to see him conjure with his hand. He is using mixed powers. Two other top prophets and the head of witches have promised to test and punish him.” I told them that all the witches and prophets on earth cannot even face an anointed man of God. I even warned them not to join the unbelievers that are fighting God through his prophets. After that they left”.

The Late Prophet Adewole - The man to whom God first revealed Prophet TB Joshua...

Prophet Adewole
By all standards, before his death, late Prophet (Dr.) Samuel Akin Adewole belonged to the group of eminent ministers of God in Africa. Among the Nigerian notable prophets, he belonged to a class of his own for his accurate predictions. The ascetic man of God Prophet Adewole was born on August 25, 1936 in Ibadan to Chief & Mrs. Adekanbi Adewole. He had his primary education at CMS School, Alugbo- Olowo, SDA Aiyede, all in Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State. He subsequently had his secondary education at Idi-Ito and Ibadan Grammar School respectively. Between 1962 and 1964, he obtained his GCE O/Level and Advanced Level Certificates. He later attended Yorkshire City University, U.K, from where he bagged his first degree in accountancy and a master’s degree in economics. A chartered banker with AIB Certificate, Prophet Adewole also had an honorary doctor of divinity degree of the Stanton University, Tampa, Florida, U.S.A. An ebullient personality, Prophet Adewole worked for many years as a banker before finally settling down in the vineyard of God.

Prophet Adewole became a member of the Celestial Church of Christ in 1961. According to the highly revered late Prophet, “God uses whoever He wishes to and in His own way too, not minding the religion you belong to or your educational background. When it was God’s time to call me for His work, He did exactly that.” Going by the consistency and accuracy of his past prophecies and predictions, people saw Prophet Adewole’s predictions as reliable as the Word of God. It was on record that he was the only Nigerian prophet who foresaw the death of late Prophet (Pastor) S. B. Oshoffa, the Founder/Spiritual Leader of the Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide in 1985. He also was the only prophet who predicted the death of Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1987. In addition to that, he was the only Nigerian prophet who categorically predicted that former Nigerian Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida would quit office unfailingly August 28, 1993.

In 1995, the late prophet prophesied that “a young man from Nigeria would be highly anointed, such that all the nations of the world would embrace the mighty God through him.” He said a time would come that the Synagogue Church of All Nations will become a Jerusalem in Nigeria, such that the number of foreigners would outnumber the Nigerians attending the church. It is pertinent to note that at this stage The Synagogue Church of All Nations was relatively unknown on the international stage. However, going by the happenings in The Synagogue Church of All Nations at present, one can convincingly say that most of these prophecies about T.B Joshua and his ministry have come to pass. Today, The Synagogue Church of All Nations Sunday services seat up to thousands of regular worshipers and visitors alike, with countless thousands more viewing through Emmanuel TV. The thronging to The Synagogue at Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos, Nigeria, by pilgrims from many nations of the world significantly justifies the appellation, ‘Church of All Nations.’ These truth-seekers are not just sun and fun-seekers or mere tourists to Africa, but are with a mission of hunger and thirst for righteousness. More than any other church in Nigeria, The SCOAN boasts of many foreigners among its workers and worshippers. Notable world leaders from all walks of life have visited The Synagogue – and with this herd, it may not be long before foreigners actually outnumber Nigerians in this unique ministry.

Prophet TB Joshua

The man: TB Joshua
Prophet T.B Joshua was born on June 12th, 1963 in small village of Arigidi in Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria. The pregnancy period of his mother was by no means ordinary, as the baby remained in her womb for 15 months before he was born. Significantly, almost 100 years prior to his birth, it had been prophesied that a young man would emerge from the poor Oosin quarters and that God would use him mightily. Another remarkable event occurred when he was three days old, as a large builder stone crashed through the roof of his house, missing the baby by mere inches. This incident led to his mother naming him, Temitope; meaning “what you (God) have done for me is worthy of thanks.”

During his elementary education at St. Stephen’s Anglican Primary School, Arigidi, he was the leader of the student Christian fellowship. He was the smallest in the class but he led the prayer during the school devotions and was known as “Small Pastor.” He was unable to complete his secondary education due to poverty. Reflecting on his early life, he said “I found myself in a family background that irritated me. My natural circumstance of birth was poverty. I come from a very humble background. Poverty loomed large in the family. The little education I had was through self effort. I know many people with a similar circumstance of birth who did otherwise. They allowed their circumstance to influence their will. Their dreams crashed on the rocks of disappointment, failure and setback… In those early years of my life, I knew I would be blame for what I gave my attention to.”

How God anointed him
As described in his own words, T.B. Joshua recounts how he discovered the direction of God’s calling for his life: “I was in a trance for three consecutive days, and then I saw a hand that pointed a Bible to my heart and the Bible immediately entered my heart. Then the awareness came and I saw the apostles and prophets of old with someone whose head I could not see because he was tall to the heaven and suspended, which I believe was our Lord Jesus Christ sitting in their midst. After a while, I saw a hand of the same tall man. I could not behold his face, which was glittering with an unimaginable light, tall to the high heavens and suspended in the air. But other apostles I could see their faces, particularly Apostles Peter and Paul, Prophets Moses, Elijah and others. Their names were boldly written on their chests. I heard a voice saying, “I am your God; I am giving you divine commission to go and carry out the work of the Heavenly Father.” At the same time, the same hand of the tall man gave me a small cross and a big Bible, bigger than the one that entered my heart with a promise that as I keep pressing in His time and name, I would be given a bigger cross. But if I fail, the opposite would occur. I also heard a voice of the same tall man; I could not see his head, saying, “I am the Lord your God who was and who is Jesus Christ, giving orders to all the apostles and prophets.” The same voice said to me, “I would show you the wonderful ways I would reveal myself through you, in teaching, preaching, miracles, signs and wonders for salvation of souls.” Since then, I have been receiving in my vision every year according to my faithfulness to God, a bigger cross that means to me more responsibilities. The Bible that entered my heart symbolized Spirit and life (the Holy Spirit). God’s Word is spirit and life. He does nothing without His word.

It is clear Prophet T.B Joshua is one of the most universally visible, acclaimed and perhaps the most persecuted Prophet of God of our time. He draws his unique supernatural powers from a combination of his total obedience to God’s will and his steadfast faith in Jesus Christ. His lifestyle is characterized by friendliness, warmth and openness, as well as courtesy, humility, magnanimity and generosity – such qualities that can be found only in truly anointed men of God.

SOURCE: Streetwise Magazine – Issue 2

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MY STOPPING INTERVAL

A touching tale penned by TB Joshua recounting experiences in his early life that served to prepare him for the task ahead.

In our spiritual walk with the Lord, we have good times and hard times. When the going is good, we say we are in good times. When the going is tough, we say we are experiencing hard times. Remember, life itself is a mission. While we are on the go, we need to stop between steps, to re-focus on the Word and the Will of God.

While we are on the go, I mean, while we are on the mission, we need to sometimes stop at intervals to assess our progress and prepare ourselves for the challenges ahead.

Certain challenges on our way usually make us stop awhile – I mean, for a moment. When you stop awhile, you are not down. What are these challenges? They could come in the form of sickness, failure, setback, imprisonment, poverty. For instance, if I receive a sack letter from my very lucrative job, there is a natural tendency for me to cry and lament, if I do not view the situation from the maturity that comes from faith. It takes faith to realise that the situation is a mere stopping interval – a short break between two events.

I do not need to go very far to cite or give an example of what I am saying because my experience in life is enough to illustrate this philosophy or principle of life. As we said earlier, many things could cause one to stop between steps. I could still remember vividly when I sat for and passed the entrance examination into the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.

I was invited for the interview and I had to board the train from Lagos to Kaduna. Behold, on our journey the train developed some serious faults that kept us in the bush in Jebba for six horrible days with little or no provision. Remember, I was going for an interview that was billed to hold the following day. I was on the railway line in Jebba while the interview was going on in Kaduna and there was nothing I could do to help the situation as I lacked the means to arrange for an alternative way of transporting myself to the venue of the interview, so I missed the whole thing.

This was how the ambition to enlist into the military was aborted by what was obviously an act of fate. Who knows what would have happened if I had successfully attended that interview. I actually felt very bitter I had missed another chance of making it in life.

With a very heavy heart I went to the village to complain to my mother of how so many opportunities had slipped by. Little would I have reasoned that it was one of those stops between steps in my spiritual walk with God until my mother did her best to calm me down, saying: “My son, do not mind the seeming appearance of things as of today. If I am ever confident of any child, you are that child. Do not be afraid of what the future holds for you, because I know if anyone is destined to fail, you are not the one. So, be patient and you would see what God would do in your life. I am so sure of your future breakthrough, considering the strength of the predictions and prophecies about you even before you were born. I cannot forget so easily what I experienced when I was pregnant with you, and I know God cannot lie. My son, whatever you may be going through today, just take it as a temporary setback, meant to prepare you for the challenges ahead. Don’t forget your name is “Temitope” and, by the grace of God, the whole world shall have the cause to thank God for your sake.”

After this encounter with my mother, I began to look at whatever came my way with a more mature mind whose focus was on God alone. I mean, the maturity that comes from faith in the finished works of our Lord Jesus Christ. My case was already settled in Heaven. Here I am today in your midst; I can boast of what God is doing for us. Hallelujah! You are all witnesses.

In my spiritual walk with God I have experienced both good and hard times.

Who knows what would have happened if those temporary stops did not come at intervals. Consider how my education suffered epileptic fits; today I am in school, the next day I am out. Remember, when God is executing His plan in our lives, He also designs and arranges events which continue to unfold until His purpose is revealed. The ups and downs in my education were part of the events that revealed the purpose of God in my life. Remember, the man who is poor is not the man that has no money, but one without a dream. They are suffering that have no dream. They are poor that have no dream.

Before I knew it, I had gone around six different colleges in less than one year. I enrolled for the examinations of JAMB (Joint Admission and Matriculation Board) four times and on each occasion it was either I forgot my acknowledgement card and other necessary documents or there was an accident on the way to the exam venues. People who saw what was happening to me simply attributed my predicament to either sin or non-seriousness on my part. But those with the maturity that comes from faith, like my mother, saw it as mere stopping intervals or natural stops in my spiritual walk with God.

In James 4:7, we are told to submit ourselves to God and resist the devil. If we examine carefully our attitudes toward certain situations, we would see how much we willingly submit ourselves to the devil each time we view things with the maturity that comes from the experience rather than of faith. The maturity that comes from experience is based on what is seen, what is heard and what circumstances look like. When your maturity is derived from circumstantial factors other than faith, your level of maturity would continue to fluctuate rather than being stable. This is why I am enabled to maintain a balance and stable approach to the challenges that come my way every day. I am not moved by what people say or do concerning my relationship with God. I submit myself to His direct will which is good and perfect with no evil in it.

Sometimes, God uses foolish things to strengthen our desire for Him.

In Luke 22:32, Jesus said to Peter, “I pray that your faith would not fail”. This means, all men make mistakes but people of God get back up. Certainly we would fall, but with Jesus supporting our position, we would soon get back up.

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TB Joshua Interview – The People Come First (Tell Magazine)

An in-depth interview with TB Joshua regarding his extensive charitable activities and the reason for his passion for the poor, as published in the prestigious Tell Magazine of Nigeria. There are many lessons to learn…

He was born in an unusual circumstance in the rustic and sleepy community of Oosin, Arigidi-Akoko, Ondo State. His birth was foretold about a century ago by Balogun Okoorun, a great warrior and farmer, who prophesied that from that rustic community would emerge a man who would be powerful, famous and have great followers. Though his biological parents had no inkling about it, his birth was an unusual one as he stayed 14 months in the womb as against the normal nine months. Born June 12, 1963, he was christened Temitope Balogun. He is today better known as Prophet TB Joshua, founder of The Synagogue Church Of All Nations.

Years after his birth, and having been prevented by poverty from having tertiary education, Joshua refused to say die and to Lagos, the city of aquatic splendour, he came. There he put into use the raw knowledge in him by being a private home teacher for some rich kids. As if in line with the prophecy of Okoorun at the back of his mind, he was always telling his pupils that one day he would become a great man. Today, he is not just great, he is helping others to achieve greatness.

Indeed, Joshua is like the proverbial prophet who is not so much honoured at home but highly esteemed and honoured across the globe, including Europe, Asia and the United States of America. His preaching, which is accompanied with signs and wonders, is criticised by many other men of God on the local scene, but this has not deterred Joshua from doing the work of the Master, Jesus Christ. In short, he has taken the message beyond preaching to providing for the weak, the poor, the rejected and the forsaken. “With the increasing rate of orphans and the needy in the society, the church cannot afford to sit on the fence anymore,” he states.

Prophet TB Joshua - You will begin to succeed with your life when the pains and problems of others begin to matter to you.

In this interview, the man of God sheds light on how God has been using him to cater for both the physical and the spiritual needs of the people. Excerpts:

What are the challenges of being a man of God in a country like Nigeria?
Let us put it this way: what are the challenges of being a child of God? Because if you say ‘man of God’, we are being personal. Well, the Bible says we are in the world, but we are not of the world. We are just passing through. I am a stranger here. So, what do you expect of a stranger? We are in a danger zone.

The Synagogue Church of All Nations regularly caters for the less privileged. What informed this?
The Bible says we will begin to succeed with our lives when the pains and problems of others begin to matter to us. In the book of Philippians 4:12-14, Paul the Apostle said, “I know what it takes to be poor, and what it is to have more than enough. In verse 12, he said, “I have learnt the secret of being disciplined, so I am content,” content in the sense that before you can become what you want to become, you must know what it takes to be poor and what it takes to have more than enough. If you have not tasted poverty, you will not be able to manage blessing when it comes. If you have not tasted humiliation, you will not be able to manage honour when it comes. It is better to say long in the dark so that we can recognise the light when it comes. Also in verse 13, it says, “I can do all things,” which means I have the strength to take care of everything. It is difficult to take care of the poor if we don’t know what it means to be poor.

What informed your passion for the needy?
The Bible says, “Watch and pray…” – it means you need to look around before you pray. If there are people who need your help, do whatever you can to give them relief: love them. After this, pray – and your prayers would be answered. I know what it is to be in need. I have once been in this situation, asking for help. I know perfectly well what it means to be in need. I have tasted poverty, humiliation. I suffered dejection, neglect and what have you. But today, I am a product of grace. I do not blame anyone for being poor; I should not blame anyone for being humiliated. The fast runner does not always win the race.

How long have you been involved in helping the destitute persons at Okobaba?
I have been involved in this project for 17 years. Today, many of these destitute persons that I helped to school, to the glory of God, are graduates. They are well positioned in their various places of work. Recently, one of them called from Kano and said, ‘don’t I know him?’ I asked him to come down to Lagos and when he did, I discovered he was one of those I assisted to school then at Railway Crossing when he was following his father to beg for money. He is a Muslim. He told me that many of them have graduated and are working now.

The set of people that were given school uniforms are a different set. You could see that majority of them are of primary school age. There are others, a hundred plus, that are with in the age bracket for secondary schools, and their uniforms have been given to them. When I saw that there is no one to take up this responsibility, I charged myself to do more because there is no amount of price one can pay that is enough. We thank God for the privilege to do this. In a month, we spend between N2 million and N3 million to cater for these people. My appeal to the government is to come to the aid of these people by renovating their habitation at Okobaba and providing more accommodation. The children cannot continue to live there. We cannot do it alone. We need good people, inspired people and other corporate organisations to build a future for these children.

There are other projects I have also been involved in. I gave a building to the Muslim College, a school I once attended. There is also the distribution of food items and money for the aged, depending on their conditions and needs. That is also extended to other places outside the country. We begin to succeed with our lives when the pains and problems of others matter to us.

The projects that I undertake have helped me not to live a flamboyant life: having fleet of cars, houses and the rest. It would surprise you that I don’t have a car or house of my own. Even the house in my hometown, I have not been able to complete it for the past 10 years. It is not that I don’t have money to build it, but I consider first the needy around me. My own is to eat, sleep and ensure the work of God is going on. There is nothing to be excited about in life.

What other plans do you intend to pursue apart from what you are involved in now?
I want to have a standard hospital to help the poor and the destitute, build standard schools for the destitute: primary, secondary and the university. I pray that God will give me the grace to do it.

In achieving your aim of building schools, are you going to acquire hectares of land and centralise the schools, or the schools would be built around where the students stay?
The weak have not hope, but Jesus is their hope. It is not my plan, it is God’s. Man proposes, but God disposes. God will give us the directives to be followed. The whole essence of this is to save our society from hoodlums and other social vices that may result if these people were totally neglected. If you ask armed robbers how they started, you will be shocked at the story of their lives.

Your ministry to the aged, how has it been faring?
The aged deserve all that can be given to them. Some of them are very old, in their 80s, 90s and 100s. Some have lost their children – no one to cater for them. We have made provision for monthly stipends for the aged. Bags of rice and other food items are distributed to them from time to time. This we have done to play our part in making them enjoy their old age. Not only the aged, we also have widows and dwarfs. We have paid school fees for many of them and render assistance from time to time. The widows, as well as dwarfs, have special programmes from time to time. The widows, as well as dwarfs, have special programmes in the church to meet their needs. We have been doing this also for many years.

Many other men accumulate wealth for the future; here you are spending yours on the people. Are you not scared of the future?
I don’t have any money. If I have trillions of Naira today, there would be a trillion people around me to share the money with. I live my life as if there is no tomorrow. I sincerely believe that great man have great habits. This is my habit. I know everybody will give an account of what he or she did on earth. My reason for not being after wealth is because my desire and focus is on my destination. Whatever I am now, whatever I achieve now, I don’t concentrate on it. Therefore, there is no reason for wealth accumulation. Our spiritual walk with God is essential and should be paramount in our heart.

Whatever is your gift, that is what God will use to bless others through you - TB Joshua

It is not every man of God that is into philanthropic gestures such as helping widows, dwarfs and the destitute. What are the things you think men of God should be doing for nation building?
Well, a point of correction – I want you to know that every man of God has habits. When you read your Bible, habit is a gift from God. If you are not a copy, you begin to do uncommon things because you take your directives from heaven. It is not what somebody has done before that you begin to do again and again. There is what we call supernatural gift of God and natural gift, and when you look at it, you see that divine wisdom tends to contradict the design of natural events. So, it is not just wisdom in the practical sense of it; it is pure wisdom of God. If you have such wisdom, others can copy; it is not for you to copy. I cannot do anything without the help of the Holy Spirit; I cannot do new things without the help of the Holy Spirit. So, the Holy Spirit teaches us new things. His mercies are new every morning. There is no repetition. We are created to change our world. There is no way we can change our world when we keep repeating what others have done. There will not be new things in the world if all we do is repeat what others have done… I think everyone has a calling. Ours is different from others. The way and manner God executes His plan in our lives differs. If others are not feeding the poor, it does not mean they are not people of God.

Can you shed more light on what the church has done in the area of nation building?
Like I said, if I begin to tell you all these, then it will look as if I’m boasting. I should not boast in what I am doing for God. I should boast in what God has done for me. Let’s give glory to God and thanks to God!

SOURCE: Tell Magazine, No. 52, December 24 2007

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